Ebert's Dunn Tweet: Too soon or completely apropos?

Disclaimer: I love Ebert.

People need to stop being so damn offended all the time. Was it too soon? I don’t know. Was it a particularly insightful tweet? No. Has it revealed some creepy behavior by people who supposedly were offended by the tweet? Yep.

At this point, I am pretty sure we all know drinking and driving is pretty stupid. Ebert could’ve saved that tweet because it was pedestrian and boring. But the real or imagined offense taken by the Dunn fans is absurd. Don’t be so damn fragile. Infants. I know intellect is not something CKY was famous for, but shouldn’t that “I’m so tough and carefree” attitude carry over off screen as well? Just a little bit?

@tom_g Couldn’t have said it any better.

My first reaction upon hearing the news was I’m glad the only innocent thing that was killed is a tree.

It illustraites the importance of not only being right, but being right at the right time.

Wouldn’t Dunn have wanted to be remembered as a “Jackass”? After all, wasn’t that his claim to whatever fame he had?

It seems a completely apropos tweet.

Tempest in a teapot.

On the one hand, it does seem to be in bad taste. And on the other, if fans of Dunn were so concerned about sensitivity, they wouldn’t have been fans of Dunn in the first place.

As much as I dislike Roger Ebert and his reviews, I don’t really see anything wrong with his tweet. He’s absolutely right.

Either way, Dunn will be remembered every single year from now till the end of time on Twitter. Every single time the death day of a celebrity, big or small, that appealed to the younger demographic (by which I mean people who use Twitter) rolls around, the entire site erupts in trending topics of #RIP. Even if they’ve been dead for 17 years. Even if they were dead before many of those tweeting #RIP were born. So any offense caused by Ebert’s tweet will be balanced out by everyone remembering Dunn once a year for many, many more years than he normally would be.

I think it was in bad taste. It was like, “how fast can I make a joke about this?”

What was wrong with speaking the truth?

The appropriate response to someone telling a joke “too soon” is to groan instead of laugh. Yes, people need to be careful of what they say on Twitter. Plenty of cases prove that. But if we’re going to be bleating every little thought that pops into our head for all to see, there are going to be times when—horror of horrors—someone on the internet says something we don’t like or that might be suited only for a subset of readers.

Would it have been better if he had capitalized “jackasses”? Meh. The guy was drunk, shouldn’t have driven, did, and died. The only reason he was “famous” was because of Jackass. Nothing wrong with calling him that.

I don’t think it was in bad taste, and I don’t think he should have apologized. It was done after it was common knowledge the guy had been drinking.

And it wasn’t a joke, it was the truth. But Dunn’s friends don’t seem to think that drinking and driving are a bad idea.

In case anyone is wondering what Ebert had to say about all of this on June 21 9:40 AM…Here following the pretend controversy and outrage.

“Toon soon” is subjective. I don’t think Ebert did anything wrong. However, the guy who died definitely broke the law and could have injured more people. I really have no sympathy for people who put themselves in bad situations. Yes, it’s sad that he died, but he caused his own death.

I think it was worse that FB pulled his page down for a period of time due to his remark…Shit, do we live in a free country or not?

I love free speech. Ebert spoke what appears to be the truth. As far as I’m concerned, if Dunn hadn’t died, he’d probably be in jail for killing someone with his car. Would the conversation be the same then? I don’t think so.

Oh jeez – the things people get “outraged” about when we are all being screwed by big corporations, Wall Street bankers and ineffectual government. Bread and circuses people, bread and circuses!

Right on the money. I bet people would think different if he had plowed through a street hockey game because he thought they were hedges or something while dodging the pink elephants.

I think it had a secondary (or possibly even primary) point beyond making a “joke” about Dunn’s death. I read it as meaning (whether Ebert intended this second meaning or not, though I suspect he did) that anyone who drinks and drives is a jackass. So it’s not just a play on words at Dunn’s expense, and it’s not even just saying “Don’t let your friend drive drunk if he’s a jackass.” It’s also saying, “If your friend drives drunk, he is a jackass.”

As for the propriety of the tweet, I have zero issue with it. As far as I’m concerned, if you make your fame based on exemplifying controversial and shocking behavior, you forfeit the right to expect that everyone will be Mr. or Ms. Manners back.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/06/_bam_margera_i_just_lost.html
Ebert’s response.

[mod says] This is our Question of the Day!

I actually know the family, and they aren’t used to the spotlight. I think that we forget that celebrities are people with families. If someone you knew drove drunk and died, you wouldn’t tweet something like that – so why is it okay for us to speak so openly about the death of someone just because they were famous?

It was a really lousy decision, with the highest cost, but I don’t think it is necessary to blurt our negative opinions about what the deceased was/wasn’t doing prior to death. Ever. Since this particular incident hit close to home, I have gained some perspective.

@ANef_is_Enuf you hit the nail on the head.

My dad was an alcoholic, as are many of my family members. If anyone in our family died or killed an innocent victim, we’d have been the first to say something like Ebert did.

I think that it was far too soon. In regards to people saying that it was the truth, that’s just absurd. Just because it’s the truth, doesn’t mean it should be said immediately following a tragedy and in that manner.

I think it was completely out of line. Just because Dunn’s profession was to commit idiotic acts, doesn’t mean that he is any less human. I would have loved to see the response against a similar tweet about a more beloved celebrity’s death. I feel that the argument made about his reason for fame allowing more “controversial” remarks to be made so soon after his death is just sad!